With the release of their latest single “Smiley,” Los Angeles duo BETWEEN FRIENDS has completed another transfixing EP. Ever since the release of their sprawling debut — i like when you shine! an inspired and nostalgic ode to the era of mixtapes and radio DJs — siblings Brandon and Savannah Hudson have continued to evolve their throwback sound. Together they traverse myriad genre niches of the 90s and 00s, absorbing them into their growing love of buoyantly kinetic pop.
As the opening track on the EP of the same name, “Smiley” is the first of four enchanting bops. One that combines this driving indie-rock breeziness with ecstatic electronics punctuated by rubbery drum collisions. The song even dips into the duo’s love of collaging their songs with a variety of wistful samples. Opening with the relic-like transmissions of commercials interceded by crackles of static as the channels change, it also closes with the radiant harmonies of a soothing R&B sample.
But for all their fondness for mining the aural echoes of their childhood, BETWEEN FRIENDS have never sounded so blissfully in their own element. Their originality gushes from the mesmeric melodies of dreamy but energizing pop that effuse themselves from “Smiley.” From its effervescently sappy but sincere songwriting to the hypnotic vocals of both Savannah and Brandon.
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The new track also comes with a music video for “Smiley” that sees the duo doing what they do best: reveling in moments of joyous intimacy with the people they love. A montage of videos offers scenes of the siblings enjoying their lives, applying temporary tattoos, arm wrestling, sharing earbuds at the park, and watching people make out in the neon dark of a club. Splicing together footage that looks as if it was shot on their phones with a homemade feel and more cinematic ones, like the scenes in which the duo is hanging out in the back of a tricked-out truck aglow with lights and speakers.
The rest of the songs on Smiley are verifiable hits as well, including the dizzyingly catchy “What’s up” and the riff-heavy anthem “Bruise.” And if you’re looking to immerse yourself in more BETWEEN FRIENDS goodness their last EP CUTiE is a 13-track explosion of their most vibrant soundscapes.
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Words: Steven Ward
Watch the music video for “Smiley” the new single from BETWEEN FRIENDS below!
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